Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse stormed into theaters this past weekend and introduced audiences to a horde of new Spider people. While all of the new characters received warm receptions from fans, there was one in particular who seemed to swiftly steal everyone’s hearts and attention. Hobie Brown, aka Spider-Punk, is arguably the biggest breakout character of , with his rebellious charm and punk rock style instantly setting him apart from everyone else in the film.
Hobie was voiced by Oscar nominee Daniel Kaluuya, who is actually from Camden, the same London neighborhood as the character. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter after the film’s release, Kaluuya opened up about his experience in the studio bringing the world’s new favorite Spidey to life.
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“I made it into a proper studio. I was there with [co-director] Kemp [Powers], [writer-producers] Chris Miller and Phil Lord, and I really wanted that. I wanted to work with those guys,” Kauuya explained. “I’m a massive fan of them and a massive fan of their films, so we really got into the nuts and bolts. We had a big session to talk about the character and the narrative and his arc, especially because you don’t really get the script. So it was like, ‘Alright, cool. Then what story am I telling? What am I serving here? How can I best serve you guys, the narrative and also the fans of Spider-Punk and this universe?’ So we had a big chat, and it was great to build with them. And then we spent the first hour and a half just trying out the voice.”
Hobie’s character design and animation have received heaps of praise from fans since Across the Spider-Verse came out, further cementing him as one of the film’s biggest breakouts. When Kaluuya was workin on the character, however, he only got to see early glimpses at what Hobie would eventually look like.
“They showed early versions of him, but they weren’t moving images. They were like, ‘This is the style,’” he said. “And I was like, ‘Oh, this is cool.’ And then, when they showed me Hobie moving for the first time, it was him walking down the runway with everyone at Spider Society HQ. And I was like, ‘Guys, thank you so much for letting me be involved in this. This is the coolest shit in the world.’ I was like, ‘I know it’s supposed to be normal for me, but this ain’t normal for me. This is f—ing cool.’ So I felt really grateful and really blessed in that moment to be involved in it, man. It was one of those childhood dreams.”
Miles Morales returns to the big screen with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse now playing in theaters after premiering on June 2nd. Miles (Shamiek Moore) reunites with fellow heroes Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) and Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) for another web-swinging adventure through the multiverse, finding himself at odds with the Spider-Society led by Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac). Other new heroes include Spider-Woman Jessica Drew (Issa Rae), Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya), and Pavitr Prabhakar (Karan Soni), while new villain the Spot (Jason Schwartzman) also enters the fray. The sequel to Sony Pictures’ hit 2018 film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, and written by the team of Chris Miller, Phil Lord, and Dave Callaham.
